Miter box



Aug. 20, 1968 A. E. LONG MITER BOX Filed Oct. 22; 1965 Fig.6D

I? Fig.6A

FigBB Fig.6C

United States Patent 3,397,722 MITER BOX Albert E. Long, Belmont, Ohio43718 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,060 1 Claim. (Cl. 14386) Thisinvention relates to improvements in a miter box for use by carpentersin making miter joints, particularly for picture frames and the like.

An outstanding disadvantage of conventionally used miter boxes bycarpenters is that the wood strip which is to be mitered must be laidfiat on the base of the box. While this is satisfactory for flat strips,it is quite unsatisfactory for picture moldings and the like whichextend angularly relative to the picture which the molding surrounds.Since the mitered joint is made while such molding is laid flat, thatis, in its unnatural position when forming part of the picture frame,the miter cut is angularly incorrect and will not form a perfect miterjoint.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel miter box formaking miter joints, which box is devoid of the abovenamed disadvantageand in which angularly extending molding strips may be supported intheir normal angularly disposed manner, rather than fiat, on the base ofthe miter box.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved miter boxincluding adjustable supporting means for supporting picture moldingstrips and the like of varying sizes and inclinations so that a perfectmiter joint may be made for all such sizes and different angles ofinclination.

A further object of the invention is to provide a miter box providedwith a window so that the molding and adjustable supporting means may bevisible at all times, particularly during adjustment.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study ofthe following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view of the miter box embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the miter =box shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a miter box shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2, butwithout the molding to be mitered;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, exceptshowing the molding in adjustably supported position; and,

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, are cross-sectional views of moldings of differentcross-sectional outline to show some of the varieties which may bemitered with the present miter box.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawing, numeral 1generally denotes the miter box embodying the principles of the presentinvention, which box may be made of wood or any other suitable material.The miter box comprises vertical side walls 3 and 4, and generallydenoted by numeral 2, which are directly fastened to the longitudinaledges of the bottom or base 6. It will be noted that side Wall 4 has abottom extension 7 extending slightly beyond the bottom 6 so that therear edge surface 8 may act as a stop which abuts against the front edgeof a table on which the box may be mounted.

The side wall 14 has a cut-out 5 at the top thereof to provide a windowso that the molding M may be viewed at all times while adjustablysupporting it by wing bolts 12, or while sawing a miter joint by the useof a saw S guided by vertical slots 9, disposed angularly, usually 45relaice tive to a plane at right angles to the side walls 2 and 4 andbotom wall 6.

An important feature of the invention is the disposition and arrangementof the adjustable supporting elements, denoted generally by numeral 10and comprising small blocks 11 having vertical holes through which wingbolts 12 extend which are in registry with and guided angularly by slots13 formed in the base 6.

The molding strip M has a rear vertical strip portion 16 which is laidagainst the inner surface of side wall 3 and a bottom horizontal stripportion 17 which rests on the top surface of bottom 6 as shown inFIG. 1. Then, with the wing nuts 14 loosened, the wing bolts 12 are slidalong 4 slots 13 until the edges of blocks 11 abut the front edge 18 ofthe molding strip, whereupon the wing nuts 14 are tightened. The moldingis now supported properly and angularly in a manner corresponding to thenormal position when forming a picture frame. The saw is then guided byvertical, angularly disposed slots 9 to form a miter cut, that is, a 45angle at the ends of the four molding strips M forming the pictureframe. Of course, the molding strips M may be used for forming otherconstructions, such as the molding along the base of floors, ceilings,doorways, etc.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an efficient miter box whichis so constructed so as to adjustably support, in normal angularposition, the molding forming a picture frame or the like, whereby aproper miter cut may be made to form a perfect miter joint; also whichcan adjustably accommodate moldings of different widths andinclinations; also I have provided a window in the side wall of themiter box to permit visual observation of the adjustments made and ofthe molding as it is being cut.

While I have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustrationonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made within thecontemplation of my invention and within the-scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A carpenters miter box comprising an elongated base, elongated sidewalls extending vertically upwardly and fastened to longitudinal edgesof said base at right angle thereto, one of said sidewalls dependingbelow the surface of said base and having a window in its upper edgeportion, diagonally extending slots extending vertically downwardly fromthe top edges of said side walls, and a plurality of longitudinallydisposed adjusting means comprising slots formed in said base, andsupporting blocks having vertical holes, wing bolts extending throughsaid holes for selectively securing said blocks in a position along saidslots so as to support the front, bottom edge portion of a molding stripsupported angularly in said box, the rear vertically extending surfaceof said molding strip adapted to abut the inner surface of one of saidsidewalls and the front edge of the horizontally extending bottomsurface of said moulding strip adapted to abut said blocks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 99,398 2/1870 Bullard 14386415,940 11/1889 Davis. 477,233 6/ 1892 Soukup. 536,936 4/ 1895 Nicholls-14389 DONALD R. SCHRAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A CARPENTER''S MITER BOX COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BASE, ELONGATED SIDEWALLS EXTENDING VERTICALLY UPWARDLY AND FASTENED TO LONGITUDINAL EDGESOF SAID BASE AT RIGHT ANGLE THERETO, ONE OF SAID SIDEWALLS DEPENDINGBELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND HAVING A WINDOW IN ITS UPPER EDGEPORTION, DIAGONALLY EXTENDING SLOTS EXTENDING VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY FROMTHE TOP EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALLS, AND A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLYDISPOSED ADJUSTING MEANS COMPRISING SLOTS FORMED IN SAID BASE, ANDSUPPORTING BLOCKS HAVING VERTICAL HOLES, WING BOLTS EXTENDING THROUGHSAID HOLES FOR SELECTIVELY SECURING SAID BLOCKS IN A POSITION ALONG SAIDSLOTS SO AS TO SUPPORT THE FRONT, BOTTOM EDGE PORTION OF A MOLDING STRIPSUPPORTED ANGULARLY IN SAID BOX, THE REAR VERTICALLY EXTENDING SURFACEOF SAID MOLDING STRIP ADAPTED TO ABUT THE INNER SURFACE OF ONE OF SAIDSIDEWALLS AND FRONT EDGE OF THE HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING BOTTOM SURFACE OFSAID MOULDING STRIP ADAPTED TO ABUT SAID BLOCKS.